New images of the lunar surface taken by a Japanese probe

New photos straight from the lunar star. Japan’s SLIM probe has transmitted new images of the moon after surviving sub-zero temperatures on its second lunar night, equivalent to two Earth weeks, the Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa) said on Thursday. At the end of January, the device made a historic landing on the Moon for Japan.

“Last night we received a response from SLIM confirming that the spacecraft successfully completed the lunar night for the second time,” Jaxa rejoiced on the X account dedicated to his module. “Since the sun was still high in the sky last night and the equipment was still warm, we only took a few photos of the normal scenery using the navigation camera,” Jaxa added. The agency also released a black-and-white photograph of the rocky surface of a lunar crater taken by its probe.

According to the agency, the collected data also shows that some temperature sensors and some battery cells of the SLIM (Smart Lander for Exploration of the Moon) are starting to fail, but basic functions appear to be working.

This is only the third awakening of the probe, which made a very precise landing on the Moon on January 20, making Japan the fifth country to successfully land on Earth’s natural satellite after the United States, Soviet Union, China and India.

“Explaining the Mystery of the Origin of the Moon”

However, due to engine failure in the final tens of meters of descent, SLIM landed at an angle, stripping its west-facing solar photovoltaic cells. After an initial period of inactivity of about ten days and an initial awakening, the probe was put into hibernation mode and survived its first lunar night before going back to sleep in early March.

SLIM landed in a small crater less than 300 meters in diameter called Scioli. Before shutting down, the device was able to normally land its two mini-rovers, which were supposed to analyze rocks originating from the internal structure of the Moon, the lunar mantle, which is still very poorly understood.

The Japanese agency has already shared several photos taken by the probe in recent weeks. At the end of February, it published a clearer image of the moon’s surface, which showed “distant and characteristic craters arranged in a cross, as well as other clearly visible features.”

In early March, as the probe went to sleep, she also shared a photo of the lunar star, this time at sunset over the Scioli Crater.

Thanks to its “autofocus function,” SLIM’s multi-band spectroscopic camera allows it to “measure distance” using photographed rocks to then calculate their size, Jaxa explains on its website. “Based on the large amount of data obtained, analyzes are being carried out to identify rocks and evaluate the chemical composition of minerals that could unravel the mystery of the origin of the Moon,” she explained. The “scientific results” of these analyzes will be published as soon as possible.